Yorvit accepts role, plays waiting game

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, February 19, 2005

Photo: John Storey

Image 1of/4

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 4

021805_Giants_jrs279.JPG
The Giants players run under foreboding skys.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT less

021805_Giants_jrs279.JPG
The Giants players run under foreboding skys.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG ... more

Photo: John Storey

Image 2 of 4

021805_Giants_jrs517.JPG
Giants catcher Yorvit Torrealba talks with Mike Matheny during the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT less

021805_Giants_jrs517.JPG
Giants catcher Yorvit Torrealba talks with Mike Matheny during the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John ... more

Photo: John Storey

Image 3 of 4

The Giants leave Scottsdale Stadium for their workouts at Indian School on the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle less

The Giants leave Scottsdale Stadium for their workouts at Indian School on the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The ... more

Photo: John Storey

Image 4 of 4

Giants pitcher Kirk Rueter adjusts his cap on the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle

Giants pitcher Kirk Rueter adjusts his cap on the first day of spring training.
The Giants open Spring Training in Scottsdale. Event on 2/18/05 in Scottsdale. John Storey / The Chronicle

Photo: John Storey

Yorvit accepts role, plays waiting game

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

2005-02-19 04:00:00 PDT Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Catcher Yorvit Torrealba scores points for honesty and intelligence. He does not deny he was steamed when the Giants signed Mike Matheny for three years, but before he strapped on his gear Friday for the team's first workout of 2005 he wisely checked his feelings at the door.

Torrealba confirmed he asked the Giants to trade him after Matheny was acquired, but said he is now happy to be back with San Francisco, where he hopes to contribute as a backup and grow under Matheny's tutelage.

For the second straight winter, Torrealba went home thinking he was in line to be the Giants' starting catcher. Last year, he was disappointed when the team traded for A.J. Pierzynski. This year, they traded for Matheny.

"I preferred to be with somebody else who gave me an opportunity to play, " Torrealba said. "Obviously, it was a mistake. I was angry about the news. I realize that there's no reason for me to be traded. I've been here my whole life, even in the minor leagues. I'm just looking forward to playing every day. That's all."

Manager Felipe Alou had a familiar chat with Torrealba on Friday. It was the same talk they had the first day last spring.

"Torre is OK today," Alou said. "I hope he's OK the rest of the journey. I understand how he feels. I was in the same boat once."

Matheny and Torrealba both are strong defensive catchers. At the plate, Torrealba might have a greater upside. But the Giants felt Matheny's experience and reputation were too strong to pass up. They also worried about their catching depth had they installed Torrealba as the starter and he got hurt, which is one reason they did not trade him.

Even as he said the right things about remaining a Giant, Torrealba admitted one motivation for having a good 2005 season is showcasing his talents, because he knows he would have to sit behind Matheny in San Francisco for the next three seasons -- not a desirable situation for a player approaching 27.

"There are 29 other teams in this league," he said. "I don't expect to be traded. I don't want to be traded. At the same time, you never know. I'm going to try to be the best I can, and who knows? I might be out of here before the three years, or I might have to wait three years. I don't really know. All I can know is I'm ready to go and prove that I'm ready to play every day."

Hurry up: The Giants' first official workout was a blur, over in 90 minutes. They wanted to finish ahead of an expected storm, but even when it's sunny the club plans shorter workout days because there are so many older players.

"It's all about quality of work, not quantity of work," head trainer Stan Conte said. "When you have a younger team, a lot of it is about quantity, strength and conditioning work. Here we're looking for short bouts of intense work to get guys ready to compete April 5 and not get hurt. We already know what their talents are. We know what they can do on the ball field.

"We looked at ways to compress the schedule so guys aren't standing around. I think a little bit had to do with the veteran team we had coming in."

First impressions: Sixteen of the 33 pitchers in camp threw bullpen sessions. Closer Armando Benitez fired some impressive fastballs and splitters to Torrealba, while Kirk Rueter displayed good movement for this early in the spring. Alou was impressed with Brett Tomko.

Now Playing:

"He worked all winter to get rid of the slow starts he had the last two years," Alou said. "He really threw the ball well."

Briefly: Alou said left-hander Noah Lowry's spot in the rotation is his to lose, which makes sense because Lowry has yet to lose a big-league game. He went 6-0 in 14 starts as a rookie last season. ... Some uniform numbers have changed. Scott Eyre has given 49 to Benitez and will take Felix Rodriguez's old 47. Edgardo Alfonzo will wear 12, Dusty Baker's old number, after giving 13 to Omar Vizquel.

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.